A year after Benghazi attacks, many questions left unanswered

Deseret News

Published: Thursday, Sept. 12 2013 1:40 p.m. MDT

On Sept. 12, 2012, glass, debris and overturned furniture are strewn inside a room in the gutted U.S. Consulate in Benghazi, Libya, the day after an attack that killed four Americans, including Ambassador Chris Stevens. (Ibrahim Alaguri, Associated Press)

Sept. 11 is a somber day in American history. It is most remembered for the 9/11 attacks, but it also serves as the anniversary of a 2012 attack on a U.S. Consulate in Benghazi, Libya, that left four Americans dead.

Although a year has passed since the Benghazi attacks, families of the victims are still left with many unanswered questions and have yet to see action taken against those involved.

The New York Times reported this week that the U.S. government has identified and filed charges against many individuals believed to be involved in the attacks. But due to the instability of the Libyan government, the Obama administration’s efforts to arrest the suspects have been put on hold.

Last month at a White House press conference, President Barack Obama was asked about the progress being made in the investigation of the Benghazi attacks. Obama revealed the existence of a sealed indictment in the attack.

Denis McDonough, the White House chief of staff, appeared on “Fox News Sunday” this week and addressed questions about the president's promise to bring the killers to justice, saying, “The United States government does what it says, and we will do what we say in this instance, as we do in every other instance. I have no doubt about that.”

On Wednesday, the anniversary of the attack, Esam Mohamed of the Associated Press reported a car bomb was set off in Benghazi, targeting a building that once housed the U.S. Consulate during the rule of King Idris.

With the deteriorating situation in Libya, it is unclear when or what action will be taken.